The Arteries ‘Shortcuts’ – Free Punk Rock MP3

In terms of record labels, they don’t come more prestigious and respected than Household Name – and yet they’re practically unknown on the grand scheme of things…

From the glory days of Capdown, Lightyear, Adequate 7, Five Knuckle, Captain Everything! and Ye Wiles a few years ago, to their current, somewhat reduced scale of operations, Lil and Kafren – it really is the personal touch that sets them aside – have been finding the best underground punk, hardcore, ska and everything in between for over a decade.

For proof they’ve still got it, check out the free MP3 at the bottom of the page.

I’ll be talking more about their old bands another time, but to prove they’re still picking out the gems, here are The Arteries, and the brilliant ‘Shortcuts’, available to download below. Hailing from Swansea and playing the kind of melody-drenched punk rock that made the Satanic Surfers so damn awesome, their debut ‘Blood, Sweat And Beers’ (despite having a truly terrible name) is well worth a purchase. Oh, and while you’re there, pick up this, this and of course this.

What other labels do you always trust? Who else is a real marker of reliable quality for your musical needs? Or are labels simply defunct, glorified distribution companies with fancy logos?